About

Dr. Joel M. Caplan is a Professor at Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice (SCJ), Director of the SCJ Master's Program, and Director of the Rutgers Center on Public Security (RCPS). His applied research focuses on GIS mapping, data-informed community engagement and crime prevention. His work on Risk Terrain Modeling (RTM) is used around the world to diagnose environmental attractors of crime, create safe spaces and build stronger communities. Joel has professional experience as a police officer, 9-1-1 dispatcher and emergency medical technician. He is the author of “Risk-Based Policing: Evidence-Based Crime Prevention with Big Data and Spatial Analytics” (2018) and "Risk Terrain Modeling: Crime Prevention and Risk Reduction" (2016). He earned his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 2008.

Work

Principled and professionally driven to do work that serves a public good.
Research  | crime prevention & public safety
Teaching  | skills for problem solving
Publications  | books and articles
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​CV  | updated curriculum vitae

Consulting Expert Witness

Litigation involving foreseeability, premises liability, high-crime areas, opportunities for crime, security and deterrence.
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Press & Media

TEDx
National Geographic Channel
​Vice News
United Nations
The World Bank
School of Batman podcast
and more...​

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Children's Books
Advice for Graduate Students
Forbes ranked RTM in top 5 list of ways to use “big data for social good” that can “dramatically improve the lives of millions of people.” ​